Community Chat

[Oznell]

It was cool to find out that tiny Valley City, North Dakota, of all places, celebrates Peggy Lee Day, yearly, with concerts and trbutes.  This year, it'll be on June 14, they just announced.

It is fitting--  the Jamestown, N.D. swing and jazz legend first sang professionally in Valley City, over KOVC radio.

A lot of people alive now, only know Peggy from her late career incarnation, in the 70's and 80's, famously intoning "Is That All There Is",   for example.

But the now-familiar story begins so much earlier.  A little girl whose railroad worker father was an alcoholic, who lost her mother at age 4, and who was subjected to egregious physical and emotional abuse by her stepmother, she learned to survive.

 

She refined her style, when nightclub audiences were loud and rowdy.  Instead of getting louder herself, she got softer, and through sheer talent, riveted their attention.

She certainly had the attention of other, dedicated musicians, like the great bandleader and clarinetist Benny Goodman, among many others.  He had unshakeable faith in the young singer, hired her, and the rest is history.

Her version of the perennially haunting Rodgers and Hart tune,  "Where or When" is available by googling it on youtube.  This critic below, Benjamin Schwartz, pays the recording the ultimate compliment: 

She was a songwriter too, and married another Goodman musician, jazz guitarist, Dave Barbour.   That didn't end well, but here she is working with him, and yet another great, Nat King Cole:

Hmmm, just as an aside, I wonder what she and William Holden were discussing?   Chic retro look-

I love her relationships with other first-rank musicians, like Sinatra.

I'm always touting her playful, wonderful duet with him on "Nice Work if You Can Get It" on youtube--

How much talent is here at the aforementioned Benny Goodman's 25 year celebration, with Peggy, Goodman, Lionel Hampton and the incredible Ella Fitzgerald?

Years later, Peggy, Joe Williams and Jon Hendricks would pay emotional tribute to Ella--  

.... who appreciates the respect from her fellow performers....

Peggy "played well" with so many performers!   On Judy Garland's show,  she had good rowdy duet fun, turning from the soft intimacy of her style with Sinatra, to the soulful belting that was Judy's trademark.   "Won't You Come Home, Bill Bailey"? 

If you can stand more grainy video, Peggy burns up the scene-- Live at the Hollywood Bowl, 1954.   Great, great concert footage! 

And another one so worth googling,  "Why Don't You Do Right":

Ultimately, something of an enigma, a legend and an elegant, endlessly influential singer/ lyricist whose talent never stops!

[deepwaterdotter]

"Fever!"

[bikerbabe]

I’ve always wondered why there hasn’t been a movie biopic about her? If there is, I’m not familiar with it.

I wonder who could play her?

Thank you @Oznell

[Desert Lily]

I remember that my grandfather had records by Peggy Lee when I was a little girl. I've found myself singing "Is That All There Is?" in the shower a few times Lol.

[deepwaterdotter]

Gwen Stefani?

[on the bay]

Thanks for this @Oznell!

I remember listening to Peggy Lee's sultry voice.

You had me looking her up and read she wrote the lyrics for the original movie Lady and the Tramp!

She wrote 270 songs!

Then I read something I'd never knew- You know how reading something leads you to something else-

She sang I heard the Bells on Christmas Day written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

He wrote it on Christmas day from his Cambridge home but left out 2 stanzas he had written about the horrors of the civil war.

His son was almost fatally injured on Dec 1st, but survived.

The 2 stanzas he took out are heartbreaking and chilling to read.

"Then from each black, accursed mouth

The cannon thundered in the

South

And with the sound

The Carols drowned

Of peace on earth, good will to

men." 

"It was as if an earthquake rent

The hearth-stones of a continent,

And make forlorn

The households born

Of peace on earth and good-will to men."

Doesn't that give you chills?

Anyway, thank you for giving me this journey into some fascinating things about music and Peggy Lee!

[just bee]

I urge everyone to listen to this one.

Is That All There Is?

I remember when I was a very little girl, our house caught on fire
I'll never forget the look on my father's face as he gathered me up
In his arms and raced through the burning building out to the pavement
And I stood there shivering in my pajamas and watched the whole world go up in flames
And when it was all over I said to myself, is that all there is to a fire?

Is that all there is, is that all there is
If that's all there is my friends, then let's keep dancing
Let's break out the booze and have a ball
If that's all there is

And when I was twelve years old, my father took me to a circus, the greatest show on earth
There were clowns and elephants and dancing bears
And a beautiful lady in pink tights flew high above our heads
And as I sat there watching
I had the feeling that something was missing
I don't know what, but when it was over
I said to myself, "is that all there is to the circus?

Is that all there is, is that all there is
If that's all there is my friends, then let's keep dancing
Let's break out the booze and have a ball
If that's all there is

And then I fell in love with the most wonderful boy in the world
We'd take take long walks down by the river or just sit for hours gazing into each other's eyes
We were so very much in love
And then one day he went away and I thought I'd die, but I didn't
And when I didn't I said to myself, is that all there is to love?

Is that all there is, is that all there is
If that's all there is my friends, then let's keep...

I know what you must be saying to yourselves
If that's the way she feels about it why doesn't she just end it all?
Oh, no, not me I'm not ready for that final disappointment
'Cause I know just as well as I'm standing here talking to you
When that final moment comes and I'm breathing my last breath, I'll be saying to myself

Is that all there is, is that all there is
If that's all there is my friends, then let's keep dancing
Let's break out the booze and have a ball
If that's all there is

[on the bay]

Wow @just bee! so very poignant.

and yes then" lets keep dancing, and break out the booze, if that's all there is."

[PeggySusie]

My favorite New Year's Eve (or any time song) of Peggy's:

My Dear Acquaintance: REMOVAL OF LINK

[just bee]